Haystack Mountain (12,206') is located 6.45 miles from Maroon Snowmass Trailhead in the Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness. Its broad, flat summit tops a divisive ridge between the Capitol Creek, Nickelson Creek and West Snowmass Creek drainages, just north of a saddle under Mount Daly (13,305'). This challenging trail rises through steep intervals of aspen and alpine meadows to the saddle (11,752'), where you'll branch off and scramble 454' up to the summit.

High rolling meadows span the saddle between Haystack Mountain (12,206') and Mount Daly (13,305')

Mount Daly's diamond-like north face contrasts sharply with it's broad, flat east face

Old Man of the Mountain (an alpine sunflower) may take 70 years to flower, and flowers only once before dying

Distinct red hues and striations in the Elk Mountains come from dissolved traces of iron and the rock's sedimentary origin

The broad flat summit of Haystack mountain caps a divisive ridge between the Capitol, Nickelson and West Snowmass creek drainages

Lupine gets its name from the Latin word for wolf (lupus), a reference to the belief it consumed a lot of the mineral content in the soil

The crest of the Elk Mountains receives more moisture than ranges farther east in the Rockies

The West Snowmass Trail clarifies on the last mile up to the pass

Capitol Peak (14,130'), seen here to the right, is well-known for its 'Knife Edge', a jagged section of narrow, exposed rock leading to the summit

The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative restored eroded slopes on Capitol Peak and finished constructing a trail to the Mount Daly - Capitol Peak saddle in 2002

West Snowmass Creek forms on the slopes between Mount Daly (13,305') and Clark Peak (13,568')

The West Snowmass Trail rolls over the pass and drops 1600' to meet the Capitol Creek Trail, which arguably provides an easier overall route to the summit

Flax is an annual or short-lived, semi-evergreen perennial forb that has commercial value as a dietary supplement and oil

The Elk Mountains are the westernmost range in the Colorado Rockies

The West Snowmass Trail loses clarity in some places and crosses countless streams en route to Haystack Mountain

Lupine benefits the soil and neighboring plants by fixing nitrogen into a useful form

Travel moderates past the Nickelson Creek Trail split with great views of Mount Daly and steep meadows at its base

Paintbrush belongs to a genus of 200 species of partially or fully parasitic plants that derive nourishment from the roots of other plants

Larkspur belongs to the buttercup family; its stem and seeds contain alkaloids that can be toxic to cattle and horses